The Difference Between Demons and Angels
by Tsuru-san
Summary: After Tobias sends Asmodeus fleeing, Raphael catches him in Egypt. Interesting conversation is the result. ...AsmodeusRaphael slash...


**AN**: Based on events in the Book of Tobit. This is set roughly between 680 and 650 BC and is a direct continuation to "Sleep Well".

**AN as of 12/24/07**: Okay, this is a new, edited version of "The Difference Between Demons and Angels". It's been tidied up and added to a bit, but the general stuff still applies: there is slash and, obviously, I don't own the Bible.

* * *

The strong desert winds howled through the remote, cave-riddled canyons of Upper Egypt. Due to the extremely inhospitable climate and the barren earth, the area was normally deserted except for the occasional lost traveler. The roaring forces of nature tore into the groaning old stone, and the only presence, the only sign of life in the desolate region was standing within the main chamber of one of the larger caverns. There would be found the archangel Raphael and his prisoner, the demon Asmodeus. The latter tightly bound, and the former making sure he stayed that way.

A natural column, the meeting of a stalactite and a stalagmite, was the main feature of the large cave, and the stone formation was also proving to be a very convenient thing for Raphael to shackle Asmodeus to. Chains formed of divine light kept the Marquis from shifting into a smear of shadows and escaping.

"So, Raphael," Asmodeus eventually said mockingly, "you foiled my plan, chased me down, and captured me. What now?"

Raphael exhaled tersely, not really wanting to speak with Asmodeus. The demon's very aura made him jittery, but the angel forced himself to answer. "You'll stay here until Michael or someone else arrives to deal with you further. I still have my mission to complete in Media."

"Is that so?" the demon scoffed. "What's the matter? No appetite to finish me off yourself, hmm?" The demon fidgeted against the stone formation he was tied to. This wasn't exactly the most advantageous of positions, but Asmodeus was willing to bide his time.

Not rising to the bait, the archangel continued checking the chains and refusing to answer, grit and sand crunching under his sandaled feet as he walked in a circle around the restrained demon. A stuffy silence ensued until…

"I hope you realize that this is highly uncomfortable," Asmodeus complained, squirming experimentally in the chains which Raphael had bound him with.

"I'm sure it was highly uncomfortable for Sarah when you killed her seven husbands," Raphael retorted icily, green eyes flashing with a trace of anger. However, with a slight flick of his slim wrist the bonds that trapped Asmodeus shifted slightly so that they didn't hold the defeated demon as painfully as before. But rather than a 'thank you'—not that the archangel expected one—Asmodeus continued his string of needling comments.

"Now this," he smirked, "is the difference between demons and angels. We'd bind the chains tighter, while you ease up a bit." He chuckled mirthlessly. "Although perhaps that's not entirely true. Michael or Uriel would've throttled me by now. I'm sure that idea's crossed your mind..."

"It hasn't." Raphael's voice held a decidedly curt edge now. The angel knew the Marquis was just trying to get a rise out of him. The demon had an odd charisma about him though, and his tone was light and conversational in spite of the insults. Even with the sparking, infernal aura making him feel uneasy, Raphael thought that maybe he liked the sound of Asmodeus's voice just a little.

"Really, it hasn't?" the demon asked with fake incredulity. "Are you certain? Not even the slightest..._temptation_?" Asmodeus queried mockingly, red eyes sparkling with amusement despite his current predicament.

Raphael stayed impassive, but it was becoming harder not to react. Something about the way Asmodeus spoke positively _begged_ for a response, an acknowledgement of some sort.

"You know what your problem is, Raphael?" the archdemon asked almost companionably, as though joking with an old friend.

The archangel's jaw clenched slightly, but he couldn't help himself, and he replied, "No, but I have a feeling you're going to tell me…"

"Indeed, I am," the demon announced with another smirk. "Your problem is that you don't have any fun."

And so came the customary reply: "We have very different opinions of 'fun'."

"Tis true, but what a pity… I, for one, rather enjoy the finer pleasures of life: pleasures of the flesh and the suffering of others. They go quite nicely together, like a delicate bouquet to tease at the senses."

Raphael's jaw muscles tensed a little more. "How about peace and love instead?"

Asmodeus laughed aloud. "Am I sensing a hint of sarcasm?"

"Why don't you just be quiet?" Raphael suggested as amiably as possible (which wasn't all that amiable by this point). "You're really starting to get under my skin."

At those words, Asmodeus's countenance shifted seamlessly from taunting amusement to dark seduction. "My dear, _sweet_ Raphael," the demon purred, "it would be quite a pleasure to do _that_."

A shade of revulsion crossed Raphael's fair features. Asmodeus's comment had in no way been lost to him. How lewd—though he should have expected as much from the Archdemon of Lust. One of Lucifer's elite seven, Raphael could not allow himself to forget that, even for a moment, and he had. He _had_. The angel had been won over just a little bit for just a little while by the banter which had almost seemed more like a conversation between friendly acquaintances rather than a debate with a deadly enemy.

The veil, however, had been lifted, and now the demon was revealed for his true nature: a conniving creature of Hell. The almost friendly jest was replaced by a sinister darkness that befitted one of Lucifer's strongest demons. It was a baleful malignancy that played about the curled corners of Asmodeus's thin lips and in the gleam of his fangs when he smiled a vicious smile.

Raphael couldn't exactly put a finger on just what made him take a step back. Was it the unmasked cruelty sparking in those red eyes? Asmodeus's wicked sneer certainly sent a shiver trailing down Raphael's spine. Charismatic... He'd thought the demon was charismatic—how foolish Raphael felt now for even thinking such benign thoughts. The archangel suddenly felt rather cold…and very grateful that the spirit before him was well and truly bound.

"So," the demon calmly asked his silent opponent, "do you want to throttle me _now_?"

Raphael shook his head 'no' without saying a word. The angel no longer trusted his voice to hold enough conviction, not with Asmodeus's smoldering, ruby eyes boring into him. Hoping fervently that the chains would hold till Michael came, Raphael took flight back to Media.

-fin-


End file.
